Device for testing acidity in oral secretions



R. JOHN juiy 24, 1934.

DEVICE FOR TESTING ACIDITY IN ORAL SECRETIONS Filed Oct. 13, 1931 Patented July 24, 1934 1 967 557' r g I I g 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR TESTING ACIDITY YIN ORAL I SECRETIONS Robert John, New York, N. Y,

Application October 13, 1931, Serial No. 568,632

4 Claims. (01. 88-14) This invention relates to improvements in printing or lithographic presses, because of submeans for making quantitative determinations of sequent Operations t be performed, is then 009$- acids present in th human th t different; ed on oneside with the litmus test solution above times and under varying conditions, which may described This y b done y d as W h 5 serve as useful indications in the practice of oral a rush or pledget of co by floating it on 66 and dental hygiene, the surface of the liquid; but the preferable op- One of the objects of the present invention is eraticn is to p f th c at n mecha ically as to provide a means so simple, quick and reliable or! x n appar u of h v n shin -m h ne that any user, although wholly unskilled in the Sheet-mating yp in Which the liquid is medical or dental professions, may quickly depicked p y rollers and pp to One Side Of the termine'the degree of acidity, if any, in his saliva p p un p u th t ave of h ap r d and may be advised, without recourse to outside the amount 0f l q deposited being mechaniconsultation, of the probable significance of such Cally a dcond1tion. Having thus prepared a test paper, one side of 15 'A further object of my invention resides in the Which is b d he oth Side preferably provision of asimple and inexpensive devi e for evenly coated with litmus test solution and dry, effecting the above purpose and which is adaptthe ,lemainihg ODBI'atiOIIS are performed able as an advertisement to-be dispensed in pack- Commercial p in ing r lithographic D ages of dentrifices and the like, For a more detailed understanding of my in- '20 It has long been a practice of physicians, den- 1 11, e n e Wil he d 00 the a fl' p ytists and even laymen, to test saliva for acidity ingv drawing wherein Fig. 1 isa View of one side by means of blue litmus test paper, relying upon 0f 91 Strip 0f P 1 prepared in accordance With the well known fact that such paper assumes a y nv n n; F 2 i a Vi Of the pp Side pinkish or reddish color when certain acids are of h S p; a dv ig 3 and 4 are perspective 25 applied to it. Such procedure, however, is limviews of the device respectively in closed or uniterl in value because of the fact that only one used posi io and in a used positionhighly skilled in the art can make even a rough Referring more particularly to the drawing, estimate of the degree of acidity present from A represents a strip of paper having the charthe color to which the test paper is changed; and acteristics above set forth and which has already 1 3.0 due tothe further fact that at certain times, been treated with litmus on one side thereof. notably after eating, the saliva may normally be The litmus-treated side of the strip is shown in expected to be slightly acid. Fig. 1. A substantial portion of this side of The present invention provides a means for the paper is preferably covered with opaque ink determining quantitatively, the relative peror the like as indicated at B in a manner to "35 centage of acid present and, by means of accomrm a p u al ty f circles or targets C Which,

panying explanation, indicates whether or not being exposed and coated with litmus, serve as such degree of acidity at the time of the test is individual test spots. A suitable portion of the normally to be expected; and, if not, the probstrip, preferably the lower section D of the litmus able physiological significance of the condition. side thereof, is devoted to indicia giving instruc- 40 In a simple embodiment of the invention, tions for performing the test, for example, in- 5 chosen for the purpose of illustration, the folstructions to the effect that the user is to touch lowing steps are taken: the tip of his tongue to one of the blue targets 1. A litmus test solution is first prepared by any and then compare the latter with the color chart, standard procedure, or particularly, as described hereinafter described, on the reverse side of the -45 in paragraph 129 page 1715 of the Dispensatory strip. of the United States of America, 19th edition, The untreated side of the strip shown in Fig.

J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, Penn- 2 is provided, preferably at the bottom thereof, with a color chart E which is divided into a sylvania.

2. A suitable paper is selected, its suitability plurality of sections E, E2, and E3 of different 50. consisting of freedom from wood pulp, acids, shades or color, which represent diiferent de- 5 alkalis, and sizing; and its porosity being such grees of acidity. The remainder of the untreated that an aqueous coating may be applied to one side of the strip is preferably devoted to printed side without penetrating to the other. Such matterFgiving an explanation of the significance of the various stages of oral acidity represented paper, cut into sheets of a size which may be con- 5 veniently and economically handled on existing by the test. The printed matter may also include ,110

an advertisement or the like of the goods with which it is dispensed, if the device is thus distributed to the public. 7

In the color chart E the several colors E, E2 and E3 may consist either of actual litmus test solution as above described, acidified by measured quantities of acid; or, of ink reproductions of such colors applied as on a printing'or lithographic press. In the preferred embodiment described herewith, the colors of the sections of the chart are as follows:

Section E. Litmus test solution applied as above described, 10 cubic centimeters, to which has been added 4 cubic centimeters of 1% hydrochloric acid in water;

Section E2 consists of 10 cubic centimeters of test solution to which 8 cubic centimeters of 1% hydrochloric acid in water have been added;

Section E3 consists of 10 cubic centimeters of litmus solution, to which .2 cubic centimeter of hydrochloric acid, C. P., undiluted, has been added.

As a further feature of the device, a crease G may be provided transversely of the strip adjacent the central portion thereof whereby the treated side of the strip can be folded upon itself to protect the litmus spots or targets from exposure to strong light and fumes of acids or alkalis when the device is not in use;

In use, the person making the test touches the tip of his tongue to one of the blue litmus targets C on the inside of the strip whereby a discoloration is produced therein if acid is present in the saliva. The stripis' now held between the forefinger and thumb and folded upon itself and the color chart E on the reverse side of the strip slid downward until it reaches the spot Where the discoloration has been made. Then, by sliding the color chart laterally across the discoloration, a match of color can be made between the discolored target and one of the sections of the chart. The degree of acidity reflected by the test is thus determined and by reference to printed matter F, the user may ascertain its significance.

I have herein disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention for illustrative purposes but it is to be understood that various changes and modifications can be made in the form chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, indicators other than litmus may be employed, the color chart may consist of as many colors or shades as desired, and the formation of the test sheet may be varied considerably, all within the contemplation of my invention.

Having described my invention, Iclaim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a foldable strip having a delineated spot treated with a substance capable of changing color upon the application of acid thereto, and a color chart representing predetermined degrees of acidity so positioned on the strip as to be movable vertically and laterally across said spot upon folding of the strip.

2. A device of the class described comprising a foldable strip having a delineated spot treated with a substance capable of changing color upon the application of acid thereto, a color chart on the strip representing predetermined degrees of acidity, the relative positions of the spot and chart on the strip being such that the edges of the latter may be folded contiguous to the former while both are exposed to View, and indicia on the strip explaining the significance of the degrees of acidityrepresented by the chart.

3. A device for testing acidity which comprises an elongated flexible strip having a plurality'of spaces on one side thereof treated with a substance susceptible to color change upon application of acid thereto, and a color chart representing predetermined degrees of acidity at one end of the opposite side of the strip, a transverse crease substantially centrally of the strip whereby the latter may be folded upon itself to protect the treated spaces from light, and indicia on saidv contiguous to the other While both are exposed to view.

ROBERT JOHN. 

